Title

Author

Date of Award

Degree Name

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Dr. Asghar Kayani

Second Advisor

Dr. Paul Pancella

Third Advisor

Dr David Schuster

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Restricted to Campus until

4-15-2013

Abstract

The thermal stability of Ni/MgH thin film deposited on Si substrate by Unbalanced Magnetron Physical Vapor Deposition has been investigated using Ion Beam analysis (DBA) techniques. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Non-Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (NRBS) have been used to find the composition of Magnesium, Nickel and Oxygen. Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) has been used to determine the concentration of hydrogen at each level of heating. Heating was done in the Ultra High Vacuum (UHV) environment using a non gassy button heater. Ni/MgH sample had lost most of its hydrogen after being heated to a temperature of about 125°C in vacuum. However, the onset temperature of hydrogen loss from the sample was found to be within 21°C and 50°C. The interface regions between the film and the substrate and between Ni and MgH layers were unaffected by this operation.